Cobra Kai Final Season Wraps Production
The Karate Kid spinoff series is done, but it helped revive a franchise that now heads back to theaters.
The sixth and final season of Cobra Kai has officially wrapped production, according to executive producer Jon Hurwitz. Hurwitz, who created the series along with Josh Heald and Hayden Schlossberg, posted a simple "...that's a wrap" to social media late last night, followed by a photo of what appears to be an informal wrap party at a local bar. Cobra Kai, which revitalized the Karate Kid franchise, is maybe the best example of a legacy sequel in the TV space. Starring original Karate Kid stars Ralph Macchio and William Zabka, it takes playful jabs at the original franchise will telling an emotionally involving story that balances the sincerity and silliness of the beloved 1980s series.
The series centers on Johnny Lawrence (Zabka) years after his humiliation at the end of The Karate Kid, and the first half of the show centered on the antagonistic relationship between Lawrence and Daniel LaRusso, who managed to transform his local fame as a martial arts star into a satisfying career and a beautiful family. As more and more characters from the first three Karate Kid movies were introduced to the show, the stakes got higher and while the inherent sillness that all of this was happening as a result of a couple of white kids from California and their high school karate fight, the show balanced its tone nicely, keeping character front and center and making sure that silliness never took over and deflated the stakes of Cobra Kai.
Hurwitz, Heald, and Scholossberg are no strangers to taking concepts that don't feel like they should work, and somehow pulling out a win. They previously made the Harold and Kumar movies.
Cobra Kai originally started as an original series on the now-defunct YouTube Red platform before moving over to Netflix. It has become one of the most popular comedies on the platform, and its success will now spin off a Karate Kid movie that blends the Ralph Macchio universe with the Jayden Smith movie, bringing in Jackie Chan to team with Daniel-San.
Here's the official synopsis for the final season of Cobra Kai:
With Cobra Kai eliminated from the Valley, our senseis and students must decide if and how they will compete in the Sekai Taikai — the world championships of karate.
Cobra Kai is written and executive produced by Josh Heald, Jon Hurwitz and Hayden Schlossberg via their production company, Counterbalance Entertainment. Will Smith, James Lassiter and Caleeb Pinkett executive produce for Westbrook Entertainment along with Susan Ekins in association with Sony Pictures Television. Ralph Macchio and William Zabka also serve as executive producers.
Cobra Kai stars Ralph Macchio, William Zabka, Martin Kove, Xolo Maridueña, Jacob Bertrand, Mary Mouser, Tanner Buchanan, Peyton List, Gianni DeCenzo, Courtney Henggeler, Vanessa Rubio, Dallas Dupree Young, Yuji Okumoto, Alicia Hannah-Kim, Griffin Santopietro, and Oona O'Brien.
